An elderly man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after he allegedly pushed a woman into the path of a tube train as it headed into the station.

Yoshiyuki Shinohara, 81, is accused of shoving the woman towards the front of a moving train at Piccadilly Circus station in London on 10 November.

She was taken to hospital and treated for grazes to her face after the incident.

Shinohara, of no fixed address, appeared in custody at Blackfriars crown court in London and charged with attempted murder.

The defendant, dressed in a grey fleece jacket, sat in the dock with an interpreter and spoke only to confirm his name during the 15-minute hearing.

Shinohara was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on 12 February, while a provisional trial date was fixed for 18 April.

Judge John Hillen QC told Shinohara: “Between now and the third of February you will be seen by doctors, which will help the court decide the further progress of this case.”

After the incident, British Transport police (BTP) said: “Our officers were called to Piccadilly Circus London Underground station on Tuesday 10 November following a report of a person being pushed towards a moving train.

“Metropolitan police officers also attended the incident that was reported to BTP at 4.09pm. Medics from the London Ambulance Service attended and took a woman to hospital where she was treated for grazes to her face.”